Dear Friends and Partners,
This is the July 5th update of Wright
County’s Care and Nutrition Partnership Support for Seniors (60+). We are
starting our 16th week of response to COVID-19. Wright
County Community Action (WCCA) has a support line for seniors; please encourage
seniors to call (320) 963-6500 Ext. 274. As a community, we want to help with our
most vulnerable neighbors’ challenges, including isolation and the impact that
results, assistance with grocery access through education, grocery delivery,
senior mobile food shelf needs, frozen meal support, prescription access, and
needs like housekeeping, chore, and other logistical issues as they present.
As of July 2nd we have 452 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wright County. Whether it’s
more access to testing or less attention to social distancing our confirmed
numbers are gaining some within the County. The side by side charts below
illustrate National, State of Minnesota, and Wright County Coronavirus case
trends. Hopefully an aberration, Wright County saw a definite uptick in the
last 10 days. Anecdotally, personally this week I witnessed less
social distancing in the communities and gatherings I visited. With a
slight surge, we really need to remain vigilant in our efforts in maintaining
distance with our seniors and all those individuals with the highest risk.
National – Minnesota – Wright County Side by Side Comparison of
Confirmed COVID-19 Cases
https://usafacts.org/visualizations/coronavirus-covid-19-spread-map/
You
will notice from the graphs above that Minnesota trailed weeks behind the
national surge and Wright County is trending very similarly to the statewide
leaning even seeming to make more positive progress with the exception of this
most recent uptick.
Social
distancing, though necessary, creates complications particularly for our
seniors that are staying isolated in their homes. Being alone cannot be
the best thing for anyone’s mental health. We mentioned last week that
the Wright County Care and Nutrition partnership is making Health and
Reassurance calls to our seniors, not just checking on their nutritional needs,
but also asking about any other personal needs they have, as well as just
taking time to visit and provide some social interaction.
In
a recent conversation with a very close friend, it came to light that within
the seniors themselves we should encourage more networking from home. We
should intentionally nudge each other and our friends to promote to our senior
neighbors that they can have their own little call centers at home. There
are some pretty spry 87 year-olds out there that might enjoy taking care of
someone else. While certainly some of our seniors are reaching out to
their peers, others might just need a subtle reminder that they too can make a
difference for their friends or neighbors.
So
what if someone receives five or six calls from their friends or somebody they
barely know is just interested in their wellbeing. When somewhat
isolated, it makes people feel really good to know that others are thinking
about them and care enough to check in. It would be great if we actively
promoted to our senior friends to do more than they may already be doing. It is
also a powerful encouragement and wellness activity for the seniors doing the
calling. Active care for others somehow becomes therapy for us all.
Do you know five or six people you could call?
Trailblazer Delivery Volunteers Needed
One
of the remarkable efforts playing a major role during the pandemic has been the
partnership between Trailblazer, our local transit company, Wright County
Public Health, and so many local volunteers. Trailblazer is doing a
tremendous job with the logistics and delivery of meals to many of our highest
risk seniors. Wright County Public Health has supported the effort by
recruiting and coordinating local volunteers. Last month this team
delivered an average of over 350 meals per day.
This
has been quite an undertaking and we could use even more volunteers to help
fill gaps caused by burnout and summer vacations. Volunteers ride the
Trailblazer bus and together the team uses distribution logs with the contact
information needed to distribute meals. This would be a great activity for
parents and their teens to get out of the house this summer and spend time
together. Also more church youth groups and their leaders could really
make a difference. Shifts are usually two to three hours. If
you know someone or a group willing to step in and take a shift, please share this email. Volunteers should
call Wright County Public Health (763) 682-7701 or Jen Liebeck at Wright County Community Action (WCCA) (320)963-6500 Ext.
225.
Shout-out to Partners
We want to express appreciation to Allina
Health this week for their recent commitment to contribute to this
initiative. Allina Health is on the front lines of this pandemic and their
resources have been really stretched. The heroic support of
healthcare partners and their staff during this pandemic cannot be overstated. These workers are taking risks every day to insure we all have
the care we need. Allina Health’s leadership and focus of resources in
this important effort goes directly to the social determinant of health for our
seniors. Thank you so much for partnering with us.
Walgreens continues to come through with the
bags we need to deliver frozen meal assortments from Waverly Café and Cargill
breakfast food to Wright County seniors. We have gone back to that supply
well three times in the last several months and they have always come
through. Thank you Walgreens!
Rob – Buffalo Walgreens
Yes, Untiedt’s
Vegetable Farms this week provided both access to 100 boxes of cauliflower
and several CSA shares to support our frozen meal production.
Untiedt’s- we really appreciate your support.
This
week’s beneficiaries of Untiedt’s Vegetable Farm products:
1.
Waverly Café (senior frozen meal
support)
2.
Catholic Charities (senior frozen
meal support)
3.
Alleluia Lutheran Church (local food
security)
4.
Buffalo Food Shelf (local food
security)
5.
Monticello Help Center (local food
security)
6.
Waverly Food Shelf (local food
security)
7.
Our Father’s Lutheran (local food
security including Hanover and Rockford Food Shelves)
8.
Love INC (local food security)
Untiedt’s
Vegetable Farm
Cauliflower
WCCA – Joel
Klaverkamp
Monticello
Help Center
Alleluia Lutheran Church
Our Father’s Lutheran
If you or a potential partner would like to help
expand this resource to our seniors expressly on Highway 12, please consider
donating to the “COVID-19 Food” fund
at the Delano Loretto Area United Way:
Write a check to: Delano Loretto Area
United Way
In the memo line, write: “COVID-19 Food.”
Mail
to: P.O. Box 578
Delano, MN 55328
Or visit the Delano Loretto Area United Way
Website http://www.delanolorettouw.org/ and click “Donate” -- donations
via credit card or PayPal (click on “write a
note”, write “COVID-19 Food”)
If you want to target expansion of frozen meal
delivery in other parts of Wright County including the Highway 55 corridor and
I-94 corridor, please consider donating to the “COVID-19 Food” fund at Wright County Community Action:
Write a check to: Wright County
Community Action
In the memo line, write: “COVID-19 Food.”
Mail
to: P.O. Box 787
Maple Lake, MN 55358
Or visit the Wright County Community Action
Agency Website (dedicate to: “COVID-19 Food”)
https://www.wccaweb.com
The entire community of Wright County is in this
together! (see current partner list below)
Grateful,
Jay Weatherford
WCCA Executive Director
For more information for Wright County senior
support services:
or
or
call:
(320) 963-6500 Ext
274 – Aging Program Manager - Eric Nagel
(320) 963-6500 Ext 241 – Dispatch
1-800-333-2433 – Senior LinkAge Line
Delivered Frozen Meal Program(s) – WCCA at (320) 963-6500 Ext 274 or Catholic Charities Meals on Wheels program located in Maple
Lake: (320) 963-5771, Annandale: (320) 274-3891 and Buffalo: (763) 682-6036
To volunteer:
Contact (320) 963-6500 Ext. 225 –– Jen Liebeck jliebeck@wccaweb.com
Farmers: food shelfs and senior programs can use
your support. Please share this email with your Wright County
farmer friends potentially able to contribute, or other Food Security Partners
that could use this produce to support their efforts. For large
donations, WCCA will use its resources to make distributions happen.
Again, going forward we hope to expand this list of local food security
recipients that could use fresh vegetables when they become available. If you
are serving local individuals at no cost and would like to be included in this
potential fresh vegetable distribution opportunity, please email me a cell
phone number to text. When an opportunity arises, a rapid response will
be needed. Based on a first come first serve distribution and
availability, Wright County Community Action will do our best to share these
resources as they come in and deliver them to partner locations.
Partner support
·
Second Harvest – free
and reduced cost bulk raw food products for frozen meal production.
·
Local Farmers –
Untiedt’s Vegetable Farm – contributing produce for senior meal support and
local food security needs.
·
Waverly Café - ingenuity
and giving spirit including their PPP loan directed at paying their staff to
produce senior meals, catering expertise, and use of their commercial kitchen.
·
Catholic Charities
partially funded by Central MN Council on Aging – frozen meals contribution and
Meals-on-Wheels referral partner.
·
Cargill – breakfast
meals.
·
J&B Group – bulk
warehouse freezer storage including bulk prepared meal storage and bulk raw
food storage.
·
Buffalo Crossings LLC,
owner of Oriental Buffet in Buffalo – commercial walk-in freezer, commercial
walk-in cooler, and commercial kitchen to pack and store senior meals.
·
Local Food Shelves -
local frozen meal and bulk food storage, as well as senior services
registration (Annandale Food Shelf, Buffalo Food Shelf, Monticello Help Center,
and Waverly Food Shelf).
·
Trailblazer – daily
volunteer based County-wide local meal delivery.
·
Delano Senior Center –
senior services application fulfillment and frozen meal distribution, as well
as Meals-on-Wheels referral partner.
· Wright County Public Health –
volunteer recruitment, data support, instructional materials design, and logistics
support.
·
St. Cloud Refrigeration
– emergency air conditioning for the Waverly Café kitchen.
·
Local Lions Clubs –
local community freezer development and contributions to the cost of frozen
meals (Waverly, Montrose, Howard Lake, Maple Lake, Loretto, and Monticello).
·
Local Municipalities –
local freezer storage funding support (City of Waverly, City of Montrose, City
of Howard Lake).
·
Health Care Partners –
Allina Health (financial support)
·
Other Local Corporations
– Citizen State Bank of Waverly (freezer funding support) and Walgreens
(shopping bags).
·
Local Faith-based
organizations – many very giving churches for many years have been active in
financial support for food security across Wright County (too many to mention
them all – but you know who you are) . – in addition, Love INC, St Mary’s
Catholic Church, Alleluia Lutheran, Our Father’s Lutheran, St. John’s Lutheran,
North Ridge Fellowship Small Group and friends, Montrose United Methodist
Church have provide support for senior call center activity, B.R.E.A.D program
outreach, volunteer administrative services, food security, food preparation,
and meal and food storage - access and delivery.
·
Initiative Foundations,
Delano Loretto Area United Way, Wright County Area United Way, Mardag
Foundation, and St Paul and Minnesota Foundations including funding for
COVID-19 direct response, Catchafire membership, and B.R.E.A.D. program
funding.
·
State Live Well at Home
Funding and Federal Title III funding support administered by the Minnesota
Board on Aging and Central Minnesota Council on Aging.
·
Wholesale purchase of
recyclable meal trays.
·
Oliver Equipment Lease
for the required equipment to seal the senior meal trays.
·
AMI Group and IDA Foods
– access to airline meal vendors adding senior meal production capacity and
contingency support. This opportunity to purchase over stock of
first-class airline meals due to drop in air travel and our partners sharing
their relationships.
·
Tireless WCCA Staff
support from multiple programs working to braid any allowable resource to make
a difference for our seniors.
·
Countless community
volunteers - everything from administrative services support, logistics and
storage coordination, bulk food and materials transport, senior transportation,
local meal delivery, meal packing, senior call center activity, PPE production
and product support, volunteer coordination, food rescue, and so many more
details where you fill the gap (you too, know who you are – we are so
grateful for your courage and willingness to step forward to meet needs).
Call to Action
There is still much more opportunity for local
corporate and civic partners to get involved. It’s simple solutions like
packing meals in the Walgreens shopping bags or storing bulk meals or protein
on the warehouse freezer floor at J&B Group that have made all the
difference. Given the chance there are many incredible businesses that
have unique resources, relationships, buying power, and experience.
We really hope to find more corporate partners willing to leverage their earned
knowledge and distinctive talents to improve this support for our seniors
during the pandemic. Leveraging what they do best including their
marketing, buying power, and connections brings together powerful
partners. When we put our heads together, we dig up unique ways like
those mentioned briefly above. These often come from you readers. So please share this email with your
friend, neighbor, or corporate partner so that this story can be told, and those big thinkers out there
have the opportunity to step forward and do what they do best.
Its leaders like Waverly Café, J&B Group,
Cargill, St. Cloud Refrigeration, Buffalo Crossing, and Untiedt Vegetable Farm
that are showing us ways for other corporate partners to leverage their buying
power, innovation, and economy of scale that will most likely take this
delivery system to the next level. We need you thinkers to help refine
our process as a community, interested in protecting our most vulnerable
population by leveraging their lessons learned; those lessons that have brought
your businesses to the success they are today. Share this message with your friends: during the same years that many of your
companies were established and being built to thrive, the people we are
trying to protect were your customers. This might be a great
opportunity to now give back to the ones who supported you and help them
thrive.
We need to refine solutions in local communities
for freezer storage, access to bulk buying, shared and efficient
transportation opportunities, HR teams organizing volunteers to support local
distribution in their community, corporate giving through community investment
and matching. We need volunteered ingenuity from our bankers and other
corporate partners that can bring their experience to this effort to
shore up and produce a stronger, even more sustainable model than we have
today. It is partners with their buying power, innovation, and economy of
scale that are now needed to continue to refine our process. There is
still local ingenuity to leverage in this crisis seeking local solutions that
will only enhance, extend, and sustain the investment of the federal and state
agencies.
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